TMO & Coordinator FAQs

Yes. OPM provides interactive, online telework training courses for both managers and employees, free of charge. Training for managers is also available through OPM’s Eastern and Western Management Development Centers. Details on the Development Centers and course schedules can be found at OPM's Center for Leadership Development page.

The TMO designation is new with the passage of the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010. The TMO is a single person at each agency who is ultimately accountable for that agency's telework program. This position is meant to be a high-level advisor to the agency leadership, a resource on telework issues for managers and employees, and is responsible for policy development and implementation related to the agency's telework program.
The way agencies implemented telework before the law was passed was that each agency had a "Telework Coordinator" at the Department/Agency level (e.g., Department of Homeland Security), and also individual "telework coordinators" at the subagency/subcomponent level (e.g., Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration, etc.). Whenever OPM would require agency-wide information on telework such as for the annual aggregate data collected on telework participation, it would work with the single point of contact at the Department/Agency-level. The agency-wide coordinator would then work with his/her subcomponent "coordinators" to gather the information for their respective areas and then would tally everything to submit the data in a single report to OPM on behalf of the entire agency.
The TMO position more closely resembles what was formerly the Department-level "Telework Coordinator." This means the role within an agency of pulling together information on telework from various internal sources and then reporting to OPM now falls on the TMO. However, the responsibilities of the TMO extend beyond operational day-to-day aspects of telework and delve more into policy, advising, and an overarching management of the entire telework program for his/her agency.
Agencies have discretion to determine whether or not, or how, they will continue to utilize "telework coordinators" to implement the day-to-day aspects of the agency telework program subject to the oversight of the TMO. The bottom line, however, is that each agency will have only one individual, the TMO, who is the single accountable person according to the law for the agency's telework program. In other words, when OPM contacts any given agency in the future to either request or disseminate information on Federal telework, we will contact the TMO. It will then be up to the TMO to coordinate internally with other staff members assisting with operational telework issues in that agency. Human Resources staff or agency employees that have questions or issues about telework should be encouraged to direct their concerns to the agency's TMO or the TMO’s designee.

Although the Telework Enhancement Act requires every Executive agency to establish and implement a policy to authorize employees to telework, it is important to remember that eligibility criterion is established at the agency level based on mission and operational needs.
Also, even though eligibility is established at the agency level subject to the requirements of the Act and collective bargaining agreements, the final decision is still subject to manager approval.
So to obtain that approval to telework you may want to follow the following steps:

Schedule a meeting with your manager to show you are serious about teleworking.

Make the request. Remember an employee may request a telework arrangement either verbally or in writing. However, by submitting a written application along with a written proposal can serve as a guide and an organizational tool for your discussion with your manager.

Think like a manager, in particular, your manager:

Focus on the nuts and bolts of your telework arrangement, such as how things will be done or how communication will occur.

In some cases it may be better to explain how it will benefit the agency/organization more than how it will benefit you.

The answer depends upon the intended use of the checklist. If the checklist is used solely for program purposes, such as acquainting the teleworker with workplace safety, then the agency may require employees to sign such a checklist to participate in telework. However, if the checklist is intended to have legal standing for safety and/or liability purposes, then the answer is no.
For more information, please refer to GSA's Guidelines for Alternative Workplace Arrangements. For more information about your agency equipment policy for telework, please consult your agency telework policy or telework coordinator.

Each individual agency has its own policies and procedures that determine how its employees may apply for a telework arrangement. In general, most employees submit their telework application to their immediate supervisor. For additional information, please refer to your agency telework policy, contact your agency telework coordinator, or visit your agency HR Department.

Sometimes there may be instances in which both the employee and manager have made a good faith effort to make a telework arrangement work without success. Both the teleworker and the supervisor should understand that if telework does not work out for an individual, it does not in any way reflect on that individual's ability to perform his/her job. Your telework agreement should include a clause stating either the manager or the employee may terminate the telework agreement for operational or performance issues. For more information about your agency’s policy for terminating telework agreements, please consult your agency telework policy or agency telework coordinator.